MLB
Giants Hire Farhan Zaidi as President of Baseball Ops
The Giants announced a new era of baseball in San Francisco on Wednesday. Formally introducing Farhan Zaidi as their new President of Baseball Operations.
The era of the San FARHANcisco Giants is now underway. (Please keep reading I’m sorry for the bad pun).
Zaidi’s Past
Zaidi is the former GM of the Dodgers, spending the past four seasons with them. Before that he spent the last 10 seasons in Oakland. Working his way up the chain under Billy Bean and co. From 2005 to 2009 he was a Baseball ops analyst. 2009 to 2013 he became the Director of Baseball Ops. Then in 2014, he became the Assistant GM and Director of Baseball Ops. So, this move as President of Baseball Ops for the Giants will be a promotion for Farhan and will be the first time, he has the reigns in an organization.
How He Works
Farhan is seen by many around the league as a great hire by the Giants because of the type of balance he brings to the organization. On one side he is someone who definitely represents the new age of baseball. Showing that he values analytics and the advanced stats that have sort of taken over baseball the last few years. But he also seems to have a grasp on the “old ways” an offense should work. When speaking about the way to build the Giants offense with Alex Pavlovic, Zaidi said “It’s (home runs) the easiest way to score runs and put runs on the board, but you don’t want to do it at the cost of at-bat quality and some other things that can help you have good offense as well.”
What to Expect
So, what should Giants fans expect from Zaidi? Expect close to no one to be safe. He spoke of the openness of the 40 man roster the Giants have given him to make the moves he needs to make. Larry Baer has truly given him the keys to the kingdom and the trust to build this team back up the way his way. He spoke of wanting a roster that if you had to take someone off, it’d give you heartburn. Making sure everyone on the roster has a chance to contribute, ensuring the Giants don’t leave value on the table. How no move is too small to make when building up that depth.
People should also expect to see players show more positional flexibly. In his interview with Alex Pavlovic, Zaidi mentioned that players playing multiple positions not only allows for flexibility but also creates a certain culture on the roster. Saying “When players move around, and they don’t identify as I’m the shortstop or I’m the third basemen, you’re just a baseball player and you’re part of a team. You do whatever the team asks or needs of you. That creates a different type of culture that I think is really conducive to a winning environment.”
Overall
Overall, Farhan Zaidi is a great hire for a Giants organization that has been stuck in their old ways while the rest of the league evolves and thrives around them. They currently have a lot of money going to declining veterans and a farm system that is poor compared to most of the league. With a new, modern voice at the head of Baseball Ops, expect changes in personnel and culture, for the better. The next time a Giants team is winning, expect it to look completely different from the championship teams of the past. And that’s an exciting thing to think ahead about. But for now, just sit back, relax, and watch Farhan Zaidi do his thing.
Photo Credit to WCities via Flickr
